It’s fall here in the US, and photographers are out and about, capturing lots of color in mountains and forests. But the early morning chill in the air and the honk of migrating geese remind me of my favorite fall place: Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico.
Bosque del Apache was the site of my first photo workshop, and where I was bitten hard by the Bird Photography bug. Not only is Bosque a great place to learn bird photography, it’s become an annual “meet and greet” for the outdoor photographer community. Photographers of all levels, either on a workshop or on their own, invade the little town of Socorro and comingle, exchange ideas and socialize both in the field and the various hangouts around town. I’m trilled to be going back this year with Rick Sammon and Juan Pons for a great workshop.
If you’re heading there for the first time, you can take advantage of those of us who make it an annual pilgrimage, and plan ahead for your gear and supplies. You won’t be heading to a remote place like Africa, so if you forget something, you can always pick it up at a local store. However, Bosque is so enchanting you won’t want to miss a single minute of shooting time by shopping!
Let’s start with non-photographic gear. You’ll be in desert air, with wild temperature fluctuations throughout the day. In the before-dawn when we set up, it can get cold. For most of us, I mean really cold. I’ve spent many mornings in below zero temps at Bosque. By afternoon, it can reach 70! So, dress in layers. Invest some good outdoor clothing and supplies. Check the weather ahead of time! Here’s a good non-photographic gear list:
Good windproof outer shell parka.
Long underwear. My favorite is made by SmartWool. Expensive but worth every penny.
Warm socks and sock liner. Again, SmartWool.
Warm shoes. We won’t be hiking, but warmth is the key here.
Gloves that allow you to work your camera. AquaTech Sensory Gloves are our best sellers, and for good reason. You may also want to get a pair of thin gloves or liners you can wear under the AquaTechs, like FoxGloves.
Hand warmer packets. Get these ahead of time. You’ll need them, and the local Walmart will be sold out as lots of folks get them on their second day after frozen hands on their first!
Hiker’s Headlamp. These are really handy for early morning setups. Try and get one with a red lamp to save your low light vision. Yes, you’ll look funny, but you’ll be very glad you have it!
NEOS Overshoes. If you have room in your bags, these could come in handy. Some shots, like the iconic Bosque shot with mist and cranes, might require you to stand in some shallow water, depending on the reserve’s water levels. Not a requirement, but they might be nice to have.
Hats. One stocking cap (SmartWool!) to cover your ears in the morning, and a billed cap for the day.
Sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm for the desert day.
Water. Pick up some water when you get to town to keep in your room. The dry air really takes it out of you.
As to photographic gear, Bosque del Apache is a place where you can find a use for nearly every piece of photo gear you own, from a point & shoot camera to your longest lens. If you could pack every camera and lens you own, you’d be able to use it. Certainly, you’ll want to bring your longest lens, along with your sturdiest tripod and head. Bosque is a great place to practice flight shots, as the Sandhill Cranes that fly around are big and slow. If you are looking for an excuse to purchase that 500mm lens, or a new tripod or gimbal head, now’s the time. You’ll never find a better place to learn how to use them.
In addition to your longest lens, bring your shortest, widest lens you have. Bosque provides some wonderful landscapes and “birdscapes” during spectacular sunrises and sunsets. In addition to the refuge, the area has some cool buildings and old cars, as well as the Very Large Array of radio telescope dishes made famous by several movies. There are lots of uses for your wide angle lenses. Since there are not a lot of mammals at Bosque, other than the occasional coyote, middle range lenses such as a 70-200 are used only occasionally. If you have to pare down lenses in your travel bag, go for the extremes.
Speaking of camera bags, a roller bag such as the Think Tank Airport Security works best at Bosque. Bring as much gear as you can! We won’t be shooting far from our vehicles — you can’t leave the road in the refuge. As such, you can bring a bag or two that hold your gear, and you can “pack heavy” instead of paring down your stuff to fit in a backpack.
You’ll be able to shoot quite a bit from your car at Bosque if you like. A gravel road circles the refuge and folks drive it looking for shots. When you see a bunch of cars parked, chances are something good is going on. To shoot from our car, you can bring a beanbag. The Apex Beanbags are nice in that they have a tripod mount on top of them for your gimbal head or ballhead. Bring your beanbag empty and fill it with birdseed from Walmart. When you’re ready to go home you can just dump it out and give the local birds a treat.
As Bosque offers all kinds of shooting situations, and you can pack heavy, bring all your odds and ends you might use on a shoot: items like a bubble level and polarizer for landscapes, flash, cord and Better Beamer for fill flash, extra memory cards, hard drives and so on.
Here’s a list of suggested photographic gear to recap and to add a few things:
Card reader to download your images—much faster than from the camera
Portable hard drive to back up your computer
As I wrote earlier, you’ll find a little bit of everything at Bosque del Apache and the surrounding areas. You’ll also find a host of friendly photographers and friends that you may have only met online. You’ll find that you will want to visit every year.
I’m happy to be going this year! Rick, Juan and I will see you at the Owl Bar in San Antonio, right outside the refuge, for a world famous green chile cheeseburger. (Did I mention bring some Tums?)
Think back to when you were a kid, heading to school in the snow or rain.
Your mom dressed you up to look like that poor little kid in Christmas Story, including horrendous, floppy black galoshes. You just knew that the other kids would make fun of your big floppy rubber boots.
Things have changed dramatically today. Galoshes, renamed overshoes, have gone hi-tech. Gone are the slippery soles, the big ugly buckles and the floppy rubber. Modern material, grippy soles and a tight fit take their place. New overshoes fit like shoes, are easy to walk in, and most importantly, keep your feet warm and dry.
The best overshoes we’ve seen are made by NEOS, a company that makes both consumer and industrial footwear. Their “uppers” are made from waterproofed Denier nylon (think high-end backpacks) and their soles are lugged just like your favorite hiking boot. They are pretty snazzy-looking too!
NEOS come in insulated and non-insulated styles. The non-insulated overshoes at 20º of warmth to your feet and the insulated styles add 40º. The NEOS Navigator even has a 5” gaiter you can extend out of top of the boot for deep snow.
These new NEOS overshoes are high-tech and dare we say, even fashionable. You won’t have the big kids teasing you anymore with these.
You can check out the NEOS overshoe line the OPG Store.
Sometime you want to take pictures without your feet on the ground. Here are some tips for keeping your gear safe while shooting from a kayak. In this video, New Hampshire based conservation photographer Jerry Monkman explains how to keep your camera gear safe while shooting from a kayak.
Check out Jerry's fall Cape Cod workshop here: Eco Photography
Hi, everybody. This is Jerry Monkman from Ecophotography.com. I’m often asked how I keep my gear safe while paddling. So today, I’m going to give a few tips on how to shoot from a kayak.
First off, obviously our main goal here is not to get our camera immersed in water. Everything we do is to keep our gear safe, and the first thing you need to do to do that is to know your own limits as far as paddling. If you’re not good at keeping a boat upright, don’t take your camera out when you’re in a boat. If you can’t handle big waves out in the ocean, don’t take your camera out when you’re in the boat.
Otherwise, if you’ve got those skills, there are some things you can do to minimize the water getting on your camera. One thing I do is use this really cool camera vest called a cotton carrier, which holds the camera snug against my body so I’m not banging it with my paddle and water is not dripping down my paddle onto the camera.
It’s really a pretty neat little gizmo. It’s got this Velcro strap to hold the camera snug, and then you just twist and turn and get your camera out and you’re shooting.
When I’m shooting, I’m shooting for shutter speeds of 1/250th, 1/500th of a second, a little faster shutter speeds. If I need to use a faster ISO, ISO 200, 400, something like that, I’ll do that. There’s a lot of movement when you’re in a boat, obviously, so you need to use that faster shutter speed so you don’t get camera blur.
Before I had a cotton carrier, I would just cinch my camera strap up so the camera was up here, a little more snug, not down here where it was more likely to get some water on it.
That’s pretty simple kind of stuff, but that is the basics of what you need to do when you’re shooting.
Now, if you’re in really extreme conditions but need your camera out to shoot, you’re going to probably want an underwater housing. If you can’t afford a real expensive one, do what I do. I’m kind of cheap, so I’ve got this U-A Marine housing. It’s still a few hundred dollars and it doesn’t give you access to all your camera controls, but if you use auto-focus and auto-exposure, you can shoot all day long with your camera in here safely. If the waves are crashing over you, you don’t have to worry about your camera getting ruined. This is a good investment if you’re going to be shooting in that kind of stuff.
Also, you can store your camera and other gear in a dry bag, either in your cockpit so it’s easily accessible if there’s room, or in the hatch where you’ll need to, obviously, stop the boat for a moment to get out and get your gear.
Let’s see, what else. Lastly, I always have pockets in my PFDs so I can get at extra camera gear easily, such as a memory card holder. These Geppie holders are great because they’re waterproof and they float. If your memory cards fall in the ocean, you can just paddle over and pick them up.
I also keep a lens cloth in here somewhere. There we go. Inevitably, you are going to get a few drops on your lens and your camera, and you’ll want something to wipe those off. I keep that handy in here. I’ll also sometimes throw in a polarizer. It’s where I store my lens caps, things like that.
It’s good to get a PFD with pockets.
All right, those are my photo tips for the day. Get out there, have fun in your boat, be safe, and enjoy your photo adventure.
A couple of months ago I was asked by OPG to try out a new camera carrying system by Cotton Carrier.
Their Camera Vest system works much like a Baby Bjorn for cameras, holding a camera snug to your chest and distributing the weight comfortably on your shoulders and torso. When I am on my shooting adventures, I usually carry my camera and a spare lens or two in a waist pouch, which I position so that the gear compartment is in front of me. This has always seemed to be the best way to have my camera easily accessible for action shots, but either I'm getting older (o.k., I know I am) or my gear is getting heavier because I'm finding the waist pouch option is increasingly putting pressure on my lower back. I was eager to try out the Cotton Carrier vest to see if it fit my shooting style. After a few outings over the winter and this spring, I've decided it will be my "go to" system for adventure shooting.
To see how the system works, you can check out the above video made by the Cotton Carrier crew. Basically, a mounting plate attaches to the bottom of the camera, which then slips into the mount on the vest. A Velcro strap can be placed across the camera to keep it snug, a feature I found to be very helpful at keeping my camera from swing around and banging into rocks and trees as I made way way along the trail, especially on steep climbs. You can also attach a leash to the camera to prevent accidental drops.
In addition, you have the option of adding a second mounting holster down near your hip, where you can mount a second camera or a longer lens that has a tripod collar. Once the camera is in the mount, it won't come out until you turn it 90 degrees and pull it up, so there's no risk of it falling out of the mount. The vest distributes the camera's weight very well. I spent one day cross country skiing about 8 miles and did not all feel encumbered by my camera and felt no pain from carrying the camera at the end of the day. And being able to access my camera and start shooting in just a few seconds is a great advantage that I'm looking forward to having this summer as my shooting schedule fills up.
If you are a plodder who mainly shoots landscapes with a tripod, this system may not be for you, as you do have to remove the Cotton Carrier mounting plate to then attach your regular quick release plate. However, if you're an active shooter who wants to have your camera at the ready, this is a great way to carry your camera comfortably.
You can see all of the Cotton Carrier products at the Outdoor Photo Gear website here: Cotton Carrier
Until next time…
-Jerry
Find out more about Jerry at his website, and follow him on Twitter at @jerrymonkman
I’m sometimes asked what custom function settings I select on my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV camera, so I figured I’d share this information so that you can compare my settings with your own. I have also made my custom settings file available below for you to apply to your own camera if you want to try this. First, here are my settings.
Martin's Canon EOS 1D Mark IV Custom Settings
This equates to the following custom settings:
C.Fn I: Exposure
1 – Exposure Level increments = 0 : 1/3-stop set 1/3-stop compensation
2 – ISO speed setting increments = 0 : 1/3 stop
3 – Set ISO speed range = * : Highest ISO set to H2 (51200). Lowest set to L (50) – I don’t use H3 (102,400)
4 – Bracketing auto cancel = 1 : off
5 – Bracketing sequence = 1 : -, 0, +
6 – Number of bracketed shots = 2 : 5 shots
7 – Spot metering link to AF point = 1 : Enable (use active AF point)
8 – Safety shift = 0 : Disable
9 – Select usable shooting modes = * : M, Av, Tv, BULB (I turn P off, because I will never use it)
10 – Select usable metering modes = – : Disabled; all metering modes available
11 – Exposure mode in manual exposure = 0 : Specified metering mode
12 – Set shutter speed range = – : Disabled; settable shutter speed range is 1/8000 sec. to 30 sec.
13 – Set aperture value range = – : Disabled; maximum aperture to minimum aperture of lens attached
14 – Apply shooting/metering mode = – : Disabled; Pressing the <*> button will lock the exposure (AE lock).
15 – Flash sync. speed in Av mode = 0 : Auto
16 – AE Microadjustment = none set
17 – FE Microadjustment = none set
C.Fn II: Image/Flash exposure/Display
1 – Long exposure noise reduction = 1 : Auto; for 1 sec. or longer exposures, noise reduction is performed
2 – High ISO speed noise reduction = 0 : Standard
3 – Highlight tone priority = 0 : Disable
4 – Auto Lighting Optimizer = 3 : Disable (I don’t want anything automatic happening!)
5 – E-TTL II flash metering = 0 : Evaluative flash metering
6 – Shutter curtain sync. = 1 : 2nd-curtain synchronization
7 – Flash firing = 0 : Enable
8 – Viewfinder info. during exposure = 0 : Disable
9 – LCD panel illumination during Bulb = 0 : Off
10 – INFO. button when shooting = 0 : Displays shooting functions
C.Fn III: Autofocus/Drive
1 – USM lens electronic MF = 0 : Enable after One-Shot AF
2 – AI Servo tracking sensitivity = * I change this depending on the subject, between minus -1 click to +1 click
3 – AI Servo 1st/2nd image priority = 0 : AF priority/Tracking priority
4 – AI Servo AF tracking method = 1 : Continuous AF track priority (closer subject ignored as obstruction)
5 – Lens drive when AF impossible = 0 : Focus search on
6 – Lens AF stop button function = 7 : Spot AF (used to use ONE SHOT <-> AI SERVO toggle)
7 – AF Microadjustment = None set
8 – AF expansion with selected point = 3 : All 45 points area
9 – Multi-controller while metering = 1 : AF point selection
10 – Selectable AF point = 0 : 45 points
11 – Switch to registered AF point = 1 : Switch with Multi-controller
12 – AF point auto selection = 2 : Quick Control Dial direct:enable/Main Dial:enable
13 – AF point display during focus = 0 : On
14 -AF point brightness = 0 : Normal
15 – AF-assist beam firing = 0 : Enable
16 – Orientation linked AF point = 1 : Select different AF points (set multiple points per camera’s orientation)
17 – Mirror lockup = 0 : Disable (I add this to My Menu, so that I can access it quickly when necessary)
18 – Continuous shooting speed = * : H is set to 10 fps, and L is set to 7 fps
19 – Limit continuous shot count = – : Disable (I stop pressing the shutter button when I’m want it to stop!)
C.Fn IV: Operation/Others
1 – Shutter button/AF-ON button = 2 : Metering start/Meter + AF start (shutter button does not start focusing)
2 – AF-ON/AE lock button switch = 0 : Disable
3 – Quick Control Dial in metering = 0 : Exposure compensation/Aperture
4 – Assign SET button = 6 : Menu display
5 – Tv/Av setting for Manual exposure = 0 : Tv = Main Dial/Av = Quick Control Dial
6 – Dial direction during Tv/Av = 0 : Normal
7 – Av setting without lens = 1 : Enable
8 – WB + media/image size setting = 1: LCD monitor (pressing <FUNC> button displays menu screen)
9 – Lock/Voice Memo button function = 2 : Play memo (hold: Record memo)
10 – Button function when Quick Control Dial OFF = 0 : Normal (enable)
11 – Start movie shooting = 0 : Default (from LiveView)
12 – Focusing Screen = Standard focusing screen (Laser-matte)
13 – Timer length for timer = – : Disable (default 6 sec, 16 sec and 2 sec)
14 – Shortened release time lag = 0 : Disable
15 – Add aspect ratio information = 0 : Off
16 – Add image verification data = 1 : Enable (I don’t use this system, but you never know when you’ll need it)
Looking at Hands
Save Your Settings and Try Mine
If you want to try my settings the easy way, Save your own settings first, then download my settings file below, and apply that.
To save your settings:
Go to the Custom Functions menu and select [C.Fn settings register/apply]
Turn the Quick Control Dial and select [Register], then select [Set]
Turn the Quick Control Dial and select a Set from Sets 1, 2 or 3, to save your settings to, then press the Set button on your camera
Select [OK]
You might also want to save your setting to a memory card. I do this anyway, and make a local copy on my hard drive. I also copy these to my SD card, as I don’t format that as often as my CF cards.
To save your settings to a memory card:
Select [Save/load settings on media] from the third Set-up Menu (yellow wrench/spanner) and press the Set button on your camera
Select [Save]
I usually select [Change file name] and enter a name for that camera and/or settings set (1, 2 or 3).
Once you have your own settings backed up, download my settings file and copy it to a memory card, and put that into your camera.
Note that this is a compressed zip file that will expand to a file called MBP1DMIV.CSD.
To Load settings:
Select [Save/load settings on media] from the third Set-up Menu and press the Set button on your camera
Select [Load] and select the file MBP1DMIV.CSD from your memory card
You will only be able to restore this file to another Canon EOS 1D Mark IV.
Remember, this will change how your camera operates unless you have yours set up exactly the same as mine. You can easily change back to your own settings if you do what I said above, but if you are not comfortable with any of this, don’t do it.
Other Useful Settings:
Here are a few other settings like I ensure I use, but that are not custom functions and are not included in the settings file above.
Histogram = RGB. I always use the RGB histogram. It is so much more useful than the standard brightness histogram, although you can now see both when cycling through the information screens with the Info button
Color Space = Adobe RGB. This has no real bearing on my workflow, as I use RAW with Lightroom/ACR, but I like to leave this on
Live View Settings:
Grid Display = Grid 1. The 9 rectangle grid, for rule of thirds reference in Live View
Expo. Simulation = Enable. This is now on by default, but I ensure it stays on. I use Live View a lot!
Additional Information:
I arrived at my current settings based on thorough reading of the 1D Mark IV’s User Manual and the following documents from Canon, as well as a lot of tweaking based on trial and error during shooting.
With the winter upon us on the northern hemisphere I am always looking for ways to stay warm while being able to operate my camera effectively. Recently I have been using these new gloves and they have quickly become one of my recent favorite photo accessories. The Sensory Gloves from Aquatech are comfortable, waterproof and have a breathable outer shell, but they have one very innovative feature that make them perfect for the photographer. Watch this quick video review to find out.
If you are interested in getting your own pair, head on over to our store
Think back to when you were a kid, heading to school in the snow or rain.
Your mom dressed you up to look like that poor little kid in Christmas Story, including horrendous, floppy black galoshes. You just knew that the other kids would make fun of your big floppy rubber boots.
Things have changed dramatically today. Galoshes, renamed overshoes, have gone hi-tech. Gone are the slippery soles, the big ugly buckles and the floppy rubber. Modern material, grippy soles and a tight fit take their place. New overshoes fit like shoes, are easy to walk in, and most importantly, keep your feet warm and dry.
The best overshoes we’ve seen are made by NEOS, a company that makes both consumer and industrial footwear. Their “uppers” are made from waterproofed Denier nylon (think high-end backpacks) and their soles are lugged just like your favorite hiking boot. They are pretty snazzy-looking too!
NEOS come in insulated and non-insulated styles. The non-insulated overshoes at 20º of warmth to your feet and the insulated styles add 40º. The NEOS Navigator even has a 5” gaiter you can extend out of top of the boot for deep snow.
These new NEOS overshoes are high-tech and dare we say, even fashionable. You won’t have the big kids teasing you anymore with these.
You can check out the NEOS overshoe line in the Store here: NEOS
I recently had to opportunity to test and review the Mongoose M 3.5b Gimbal Tripod Head for super telephoto lenses. The first thing I have to say is that I am very impressed with this compact and lightweight gimbal head. Very lightweight and packs easily.
Craftsmanship is superb, and you can tell the folks at 4th Generation Designs really paid close attention to detail.
Check out this short video review. You can see all of the wonderful 4th Generation Designs line in the OPG Store here.
Make sure and visit the entertaining and informative site and blog by Rick Sammon and Juan Pons, the Digital Photo Experience.
I feel like a gunslinger. Draw, pardner! Only instead of a six-shooter, I have my spanking new Canon 7D by my hip. Up comes the camera, fast and ready to shoot.
For events, parties or photo walks, the Black Rapid camera straps give you instant access to your camera, and keep weight strain off of your neck. Black Rapid straps are worn across your body like a sling, and attach to your camera via the tripod socket.
Sound unique? It is. The Black Rapids are comfortable and adjustable, and will have you saying “why didn’t I think of that!” With the camera at your hip or behind your back, you can maneuver easily through a crowd, carry a tripod or other gear, or simply have both hands free. When you’re ready to take the shot, the camera quickly glides up the strap into shooting position.
The Black Rapids are made of ripstop nylon and have nice mesh cushioned shoulder pads with various pockets. The straps come in two models with different sized pads and pockets. A double model is available for a camera at each hip. You can also get extra camera attachments to change gear quickly. Black Rapid has also come out with new "MODS" such as extra pouches.
The Black Rapids just may become the strap of choice for mobile photographers.
You can get more information and purchase the Black Rapids in the OPG store.
Here is a quick video I shot with Rick recently on the Black Rapid camera straps.
juan Pons is a big fan of the Think Tank Photo brand of camera bags. Take a look at his video review of Think Tank's StreetWalker line of photo backpacks. You'll find it informative.
You can check out the entire Think Tank Photo line of bags in our store.
